episode 07 Visions of Health

segment one: A Slice of Life

In the old days, doctors sliced you open to examine your body. But today, with the help of powerful body imaging technology, they can look at “slices” of your anatomy without a scalpel.

Many body imaging devices follow a principle called tomography (the ‘T’ in CT, PET and SPECT systems), which take images of body “slices” using everything from projection data to powerful magnets. But have you ever wondered how such routine procedures can help clinicians see things that used to require a sharp knife? Watch how GE’s body imaging technology can paint a bigger picture of what’s happening beneath our skin.

Explore Your Body

This image gives you a detailed look at peripheral vessels, demonstrating the full body, high-resolution imaging capabilities of the Discovery CT750.

Today’s 3D imaging techniques give doctors the power to sift through all 206 bones, 639 muscles and 43 miles of nervous system. That’s a lot. But to give you an example of what doctors get to see, GE’s Healthymagination has partnered with Healthline to bring you BodyMaps. Click on the link below to get a clear, 3D look inside the human anatomy. What you find may surprise you.

The Latest and Greatest

GE provides a wide variety of body imaging devices that can scan around the most obscure corners of our anatomy. Check out some of the latest examples of the software and technology behind these devices below.

The PACS system creates an image by taking a cross section of a body part, applying filters and then reconstructing them in 3D.

The Optima MR430s is a scanner used in an open setting, providing more comfort for claustrophobic patients. It also uses a 1.5T magnet to deliver high quality images.

The Optima PET/CT 560 Tomograph can do a complete body scan on taller patients in one pass. It also uses a 3D modulation algorithm, which automatically adjusts to the body as clinicians scan along various angles.

segment two: The Power of Perspective

Fighting cancer can feel like fighting a ghost. But sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective to help us find the answers we’ve been looking for.

Did you know that “cancer” is just a name for hundreds of different diseases? Makes diagnosis and treatment seem pretty tough. However, Clarient − a GE Healthcare company − is helping us better understand the unique behaviors of different types of cancer. Watch and learn how this new perspective is arming doctors with the knowledge they need to improve survival rates.

$100 Million Innovation Challenge

Assembling tools to fight cancer

GE’s first healthymagination Challenge is an open call-to-action for oncology researchers and healthcare innovators seeking ideas to accelerate innovation in breast cancer. Through the Challenge, GE and its venture partners will award up to $100 million to fund breakthrough ideas that advance early detection, more accurate diagnoses and targeted treatment of breast cancer.

segment three: Pattern Recognition

Data. Most people think of it as a dry, stale set of numbers taken at face value. But if you look at these numbers as a whole, you’ll learn that there’s a lot more hiding beneath the surface.

The most recent – and possibly most significant – leap in the medical world lies in our ability to use individual data points to tell a bigger story. Think of each data point as a pixel in a digital image. Alone, each carries a specific meaning which may not say much. But when you look at them as a whole, a bigger picture becomes apparent, and new truths float to the surface.

GE is currently helping doctors use data in aggregate through healthcare software called Medical Quality Information Consortium (MQIC). MQIC is a database of medical records from over 20 million de-identified patients. This allows doctors across a variety of specializations to better understand health trends and help evaluate different courses of treatment